The Type 01 LMAT (01式軽対戦車誘導弾) is a Japanese man-portable fire-and-forget anti-tank missile. Development began in 1993 at Kawasaki Heavy Industries and was accepted into service in 2001. During development, the missile was designated with the codename XATM-5. Later it was known briefly as the: ATM-5. In the 1st Airborne Brigade, it is used as its main anti-armor weapon.

History

As a replacement was needed for the Sumitomo FT-84 recoilless rifle in front-line service with the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Forces, plans to replace it with an Infrared homing anti-tank missile was commissioned by the Defense Agency's Technical Research and Development Institute. In 1993, Kawasaki Heavy Industries was selected to create the said anti-tank missile system. In trials conducted by the JGSDF, the system was known as the XATM-5. The system was created in the same year with live testing in 1996. Requirements for the system included portability, usage by a single soldier and design-to-cost technology. In 2001, after 11 years, it was finally placed into service with the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Forces as the Type 01 LMAT which translates from Japanese to Type 01 light anti-tank guided missile. A report filed by the Ministry of Defense in 2005 called for acquisition of an unknown number of 01 LMAT missile systems among various military items purchased from Kawasaki Heavy Industries for 129,700,000,000 Yen.

Design

This weapon employs a sophisticated Command Launch Unit (CLU) that is re-loaded for multiple firings. It is not of the disposable (one-shot) type. The LMAT's missile warhead is tandem HEAT, its two-stage warhead making it effective against ERA protected vehicles.

Application

The Type 01 LMAT, while used for infantry in anti-tank roles, can be mounted on the Komatsu LAV for a mobile anti-tank platform.

Operators

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